


You Ok, Brother?

by hirusen



Series: Uncle Drifter [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Annex (Destiny), Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fist Fights, Friendship/Love, Gambit (Destiny), Gen, Health Concerns, Hugs, Hunter/Warlock Friendship, Language, Misgendering, Protectiveness, Supportive characters, The Hanger (Destiny), Threats of Violence, Trans Character, Transphobia, binding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:35:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23124871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hirusen/pseuds/hirusen
Summary: He was worried about him during his most recent Gambit match when his teammates call him something that caused an important revelation.
Series: Uncle Drifter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662226
Kudos: 32





	You Ok, Brother?

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies if I write something wrong!

"Portal's ready! Go say hello!" Drifter called, the second team _finally_ summoning their Primeval. He watched and listened as Aaron raced towards the portal, a little worried for the Hunter; recently, he's been hearing that he's been having trouble breathing, sounding too labored to be normal (and there was a LOT of Hunters in Gambit for Drifter to gauge what was normal). "Embrace the Darkness. Take out those Guardians." He cooed to him and kept a closer eye on his movements. _There..._ He stumbled a little, missing his jump by two inches, having to clamber up. Luckily, the one who spotted him--and failed to tell her team--was a shit shot, Aaron quickly killing her and moving to take out the rest of her team. " **Woo!** The best gunfights happen on the frontier!" He praised, Aaron getting the opposing team's Primeval back to full (their Hunter managed to Blade Barrage both Envoys before Aaron could invade) and allowing his team to collect the win.

 _"Looks like she can be a good invader after all." What?_ Aaron and his friend, a Warlock by the name of Zane, decided to go into Gambit with their old Crucible fireteam of a Titan and another Hunter. The four guys worked together well, but Aaron tended to keep out of the main fireteam channel, instead using the private one that he and Zane share. And...what the hell was that? "Did he eat too many crayons?" It was a newer running joke among the Guardians, but Drifter wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility given how most Titans act. _"Let's head back to Drifter, guys."_ Zane spoke up, having to reassure Aaron that he wouldn't allow either of their old teammates access to their private channel before switching, quickly going back to it after saying his piece.

* * *

"Hey kid. Lookin' good." Drifter greeted as Aaron, Zane, the other Hunter Lance, and the Titan by the name of Tare walked into his little corner of the Annex. His greeting seemed to settle Aaron's hunched shoulders; Drifter, knowing from the amount of time he's spent in Gambit, knew that meant something has upset him deeply. "Maybe we can do this again, April." "April?" Drifter asked and had to school his entire body to not react when Tare gestured to Aaron. "Yeah, April. She was the best sniper we had in the group. Glad to see that that's still a thing." Aaron said nothing, his hazel eyes falling to his boots, one hand gripping his arm across his body. He was shielding himself, hiding.

Drifter didn't like when Hunters hid like that.

" _ **Aaron**_ ," Drifter stated, glaring at the Titan, "you been hittin' up the Reckoning? Or Prime? I know you've been wanting a different Lone Survivor for awhile now." Aaron smiled weakly, tears shining faintly in his eyes and Drifter got nervous; Hunters in any kind of heightened emotional state were unpredictable, and given what Drifter's quickly learning about both Aaron and the dynamic of the group that most likely caused Aaron and Zane to leave, he wasn't sure he was gonna like Aaron's reaction if he snapped. "Come on, you know my luck, Drifter." His voice was soft, scared; Drifter needed to get Tare out of here, and fast. "That I do. Ya need anything else, Tare?"

The Titan cocked a brow, glancing between Aaron and Drifter, before smirking slowly. "Ah, I see. So, the whore found herself a man did she?" "Shut. Up." Zane growled, moving to put himself between Aaron and Tare. "Or what? The little bitch's gonna hit us?" And Lance, it seemed. "Brother? You ok?" Drifter asked, his eyes on Aaron, seeing his breathing was much faster now, his lower lip trembling. He shook his head, but couldn't bring himself to raise it. "What's wrong, April? You aren't gonna talk to your man?" A little hiccup escaped Aaron's lips and Zane's Light flared, Arc crackling around his body, his fists clenched so tight Drifter could see the fabric of his gloves get pulled completely taut.

"Brother, Imma need you to shut the fuck up." Drifter growled himself, keeping his Light under better control than Zane, but it moved in a frenzy under his skin, eager to sink its teeth into these assholes before him. "Oh, look April! Your man's protecting his woman! Now, why don't you be a good girl and go to him?" Lance taunted, and while Aaron did move, it wasn't towards Drifter or Zane. "Aaron!" The Warlock called out as his Hunter friend bolted out of the Annex, broken sobs echoing faintly. Once Aaron was no longer near Tare and Lance, Zane lashed out, throwing a punch towards the Hunter, but Lance reacted fast and knocked Zane back with a solid blow to the center of his chest.

Drifter effortlessly steadied Zane with one hand as he pushed forward, surprising all of them, and grabbed Lance by his cloak. The Hunter was stunned as Drifter cracked his skull against the edge of the wall, letting him drop as he lunged for Tare, a hand wrapping around his throat and slamming him high against the wall, knocking the wind from him before he squeezed, dragging him back down so the Titan was eye level with him. Tare struggled to removed Drifter's hand from his neck as his grip grew tighter, suffocating him slowly, his eyes dead cold and any humor he had before lost completely. "You two are **done**. I'm denying you access to Gambit, Prime, and any bounties I've got; you can go into the Reckoning for as long as you've got Synths that you _use_ , but your done after that, ya hear?"

Drifter's voice was hard, cold, unyielding, and he heard the unmistakable sound to him of one of them pissing themselves. He doesn't like letting the part of him that helped him survive the Dark Age show, but he wasn't going to tolerate this. He doesn't like people like them; this current Golden Age was suppose to be a time where people could be accepted as they were, or be gently reprimanded if their acts didn't follow the Iron Decree, or the rules and laws set up by the Vanguard. But this? No. Not this. He won't just watch like he's done dozens of times before as these fuckers harass and torment Aaron.

He was forced to just watch as people like Aaron were killed during the Dark Age, and for another Age after, for just being who they are; people were still scared, that he understood, but their actions after finding out he couldn't justify.

 _That must be why his breathing was so harsh._ He might have to find him a different size, or perhaps talk to Zavala and that loud mouth who runs the Crucible about adjusting the proportions of his armor. Tare weakly nodded his head and Drifter dropped him without a second thought and took off running. He needed to find Aaron; he doesn't want him to do something he might regret.

* * *

Drifter had searched up and down the Tower and jogged down the stairs that lead to the Hanger, his concern about Aaron growing with each step. Across the way, near Saint-14's docked ship was Aaron, but he wasn't alone; a few of Tare's and Lance's friends had surrounded him, Drifter seeing as Aaron had curled in on himself as best as he could.

" ** _HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!!!_** " Saint's voice boomed across the entire Hanger, all other conversations halting as all eyes moved towards Saint, the only other sound was Aaron's sobbing; clearly feminine sounding, but he was trying to holding back. "You should be **ashamed** to call yourselves Guardians!" Saint growled, Drifter quickly hurrying across the Hanger to Aaron's side. "Kid!" Drifter called, getting the Hunter to snap his eyes up, eyes pleading for something, but Drifter couldn't tell what at the moment. "If any of you play Gambit, you're done. You can go and do the Reckoning for as long as you're usin' yer Synths, but after that you get nothing, ya hear me?" Drifter growled, standing near one of the swords and shields displays Saint had put up, a hand on the small of Aaron's back. "What?! That's bullshit, Drifter! Just because she--"

Drifter's fist slammed against the shield closest to him, Solar Light burning in his fist and they all watched as the metal warped from where his fist had hit it, pieces of it melted away from the heat alone. "Unless ya want that to be yer fuckin' head, get the hell out of my sight." His dead, lifeless eyes were filled with rage that was ravenous to burst and the two groups scattered. Whimpers of crying reached his ears and Drifter guided Aaron towards Saint's ship, the Titan opening the hatch and allowing them both inside his ship. "Breathe, Aaron, it's ok." Drifter hushed as he pulled Aaron flush against his form, feeling as the Hunter wiggled his arms free and tried to crush Drifter as they wrapped around his middle.

Desperate, broken, _hurt_ sobs left Aaron's lips and it took everything Drifter had to not leave his side and murder the ones who did this to him. "...It wasn't just those Guardians, was it?" Saint asked and Drifter shook his head. "The other half of his old fireteam for Crucible started all of this." "Names?" Drifter chuckled softly, tenderly stroking Aaron's chin length blond hair. "Doesn't matter now." Saint nodded his head after a moment. "I'll leave you two be." "Zane, a Warlock, might be looking for Aaron; you see him, you mind sending him here?" "Sure." Saint agreed, gently placing a hand on Aaron's shoulder and gave a tender squeeze before he turned as left, closing the hatch as he did.

"...Do Zavala and Shaxx know?" Aaron nodded his head, not really calming down, but his crying was quieter now. "Cayde help you tell 'em?" A soft, barely heard laugh left Aaron, but that was enough for Drifter. "Nothin' wrong with being scared that they might not accept or acknowledge that you're more you now then you were before you told them." Drifter spoke, swaying from side to side a little bit, still stroking Aaron's hair, but he now pushed a small amount of Solar Light into his hands; Solar always helped calm people down when they were upset. "Doesn't...it bother you?" Aaron asked, glancing up to Drifter's face, eyes blood-shot and there was trails of snot and tears on his face, but he seemed to be relaxing a little bit more.

"What? That you told me the truth? To be honest, that's not what's bothering me." Aaron seemed stunned and fearful at the same time. "W-What is?" "...You feel comfortable enough to show me?" He didn't need to say what he was referring to for Aaron to know what he was talking about. His eyes fell again, but it seemed to be in thought and not discomfort. Aaron finally nodded and Drifter released his hold on the Hunter, only reaching out to help him get his armored vest off his torso. Like Drifter thought, the binder Aaron wore was two sizes too tight. "Don't you have a bigger one?" "B-But--" "Brother, I can **hear** that you're having trouble breathing; you slip up more when you are." Aaron looked away, cheeks pink. "I can talk to Zavala and Shaxx about adjusting your proportions for now."

"That's something you can do?" Zane, who finally arrived, asked and Drifter nodded. "I can tell when changes have been made to someone's armor and adjust my own accordingly; it's most likely why Aaron wears my stuff more than he does with Vanguard or Crucible armor." Of course, Aaron had recently been wearing a Vanguard chest piece, which was how he noticed the change in his breathing. "...And...hearing my breathing like that isn't good...right?" "No, Brother, it's not. If there's too much pressure on your chest from it, you can having trouble breathing--which you already do--as well as cause you back pain and possibly cut or irritate your skin." Aaron's shoulders slumped and Drifter was almost 100 percent sure it was because he finally heard the worry in his voice.

"...May I ask how far along you are?" Drifter cautiously asked, knowing it can be a touchy subject. "He just started to transition." Zane replied, walking over to Aaron and wrapping his arms around his friend. "You get the shot yet?" Aaron shook his head. "Yer scared of the needle, huh?" Drifter teased and while Zane's eyes held anger for a moment, it dropped when Aaron chuckled weakly. "I know it's stupid..." "Are you kidding?! You're a Hunter! You get stabbed all the fucking time, yet a little prick scares you shitless?!" Drifter barked in surprise, but Aaron suddenly broke out laughing. "What's so funny?" "Heh...little prick."

Okay. That got a chuckle out of Drifter too.

"...Feelin' better now, Aaron?" Named Hunter nodded and Zane was smiling brightly. "See? I told you Drifter wouldn't mind." "But, I thought..." "You told me from your armor and actions you were a guy," Drifter spoke up, getting the duo's attention, "And so far? I haven't seen other wise." "'So far'?" Zane questioned, eyes narrowed. "If he starts wearing glitter, he's starting to stray just a little bit into queer territory." The reply got the Hunter and Warlock before him to laugh openly and Drifter's raised hackles about the situation finally lowered. Drifter's Ghost popped up for a moment and transmitted something to the duo. "...I think I've seen this clan before." "They've got plenty of people like Aaron there and they're more than happy to have both of you; plus, they've been looking for a decent sniper to do a raid."

Drifter added and his message got to them both. "...Thanks, Drifter. I mean it." Drifter smiled warmly to Aaron. "Anytime, kid. And you come get me when you decide to get your shot; I promise I won't let you see the mean needle." Aaron smacked his chest lightly, playfully actually, before he slipped his armor back on after his Ghost transmatted a different size binder on, Drifter already seeing that he was breathing a little easier. "I'll go tell loud mouth and Zavala about the changes, ok? You just go relax for a bit." "So...Comp?" "I said relax, Zane." The trio chuckled to themselves.


End file.
